Residents across the City, including the New Britain City Journal Facebook group, have complained that residents are not picking up pet waste in our city’s parks.

In an effort to beautify the City’s parks, Mayor Erin Stewart and the New Britain Parks and Recreation Department announced Wednesday that dog waste stations have been installed at several distribution points in three City parks.

“As we’ve seen from the popularity of events like Pets-a-Palooza, New Britain is home to many furry friends. We have an amazing park system, and in order to ensure that they are kept in great shape for all our residents and visitors, we decided to install these dog waste stations,” said Mayor Stewart. “Cleaning up after your dog helps prevent the spread of diseases and keeps our green spaces clean. We always encourage residents to reduce their impact on the environment and reuse their shopping bags for waste disposal as well.”

Dog waste stations are being installed in two locations at Walnut Hill Park, along with Stanley Quarter Park, and A.W. Stanley Park. The stations feature a box with plastic bags to pick up animal waste and a trash can to dispose of the waste. They will be located around the walking tracks so they are easy to find for pet owners.

“There is a large demand in our community with many, many dog owners,” said Stewart. “This initiative makes sense to be sure our park is kept clean for both residents and visitors. I would like to encourage people to properly clean up after their dog and keep our parks looking great.”

Stewart added that many people do bring bags, but it is easy to forget.

“We are are really excited to do this. The idea has been knocked around for a few years in the animal welfare commission,” Stewart said. “We are happy to finally be able to do this and get these installed.”

The dog waste stations are expected to be in place by the end of the week.

“I want to encourage everyone to please use them for your dogs,” Stewart added.